A Former CINO (Catholic In Name Only) gradually learns and accepts the whole Magisterium Truth and Nothing but the Truth

September 18, 2008

Peace

Warning: This is a semi-Cranky Cathy post ("Semi" because I've matured so it's not as cranky as my classic crank! See below)!

I hear the word "peace" thrown around a lot. You probably do too. Am I the only one who thinks it's sometimes used as a weapon? Why does it make me so cranky? WTH does it really mean anyway? Do the people saying "peace" know what it means? Is it the opposite of "war"-which is what? Confusion? Just because RPGs aren't going off all over does that mean there is peace?

I admit I don't have a lot of patience for the "peaceniks". I see those folks holding their peace signs over the freeway bridge and I want to throw them and their signs in the river! Thanks for wishing me "peace" or wishing we had "peace" (since I'm never sure what you are after) while I'm stuck in a traffic jam right under you for 1/2 hour. How about voting for more money and roads for public transit or encouraging more companies to build in the central city so I'm not driving 20+ miles/day?! I don't think I'll have peace but I definitely won't be as irritable.

What is peace? Is it a state of mind? A culture? A line of tea by Tazo?

Christ wished us 'Peace'. Peacniks would have us believe that Christ only meant "no war". Is that what He meant? Did He mean that he wished us inner calm and security? Does He wish I wasn't so cranky? I'm not good at biblical translation (for that matter neither are some of the folks entrusted with it!) but I'm pretty sure He did not say:"Cranky be with you" any more than He said "May the Schwartz be with you" (sorry, Mel Brooks fans!)

I've come think He meant the inner calm and security that we, as Catholics, have when we are living within the Law. You know how discombobulated and badly you feel when you've sinned against God. Some would have us believe that "Catholic guilt" needs to be negated and denied. If we could just get rid of that niggling feeling of "guilt" then we would know true peace. Is denial and evil peace? Is that what Christ meant? Don't worry about anything and don't do anything the Church I founded tells you-then you will know 'peace'. That's not the voice of Jesus, that's the voice of Satan. I'm convinced that if we don't seek true peace, Satan will find us, not God.

Adoro tells me that I'm maturing as a Catholic since I've kind of mellowed out-yeah, she drinks too much! LOL! But, seriously, she has a point. If I'm cranky then I'm not at peace and that's when I get into trouble and fall into sin.

So, all those times I'm trying to pray my Rosary before Mass and there is a chaos all around me in the Sanctuary I need to shove aside those thoughts of using the candles for something other than prayer, dampen my rage and just keep on with it. Maybe 'peace' is contagious? Despite societies best efforts to make us all cranky, I've yet to see the definitive cure for destroying the true peace of Christ. Maybe at times it's in remission, but it never totally goes away.

12 Comments:

Analogous to the question you ask is an incident I experienced years ago. My mother came down with pneumonia and in a chance encounter her boss told me "we will keep her in my prayers." Now, the only thing monumentally stupid about that remark was that he was an achiest.

“Peace” or “I will keep you in my prayers” are words that are often thrown around by people who practice neither of them.

Be at peace (pun intended!) and know that you have a like-minded fellow Catholic reader in Canada. I have an excuse for crankiness, I guess -- being 60+ might do that to you! -- but I definitely relate to what you're talking about here. I heard the announcement of a "mission statement" after Mass yesterday which set my teeth on edge -- of course, the parish council took 6 months to come up with 6 variations on the same theme! Included in one of the versions was the dreaded description "faith community" (cringes)... Funny, I always thought our mission was the one that says "Go out into the world and preach the Gospel to every nation", or some such. Clear, direct, free of gobbledygook, and from the mouth of Christ Himself. Parish council??? We don't need no stinkin' parish council! Courage!

anon: Mission statements make me cranky too. The Church has aspects of a business in its structure (has employees who are paid, benefits etc) but it's reason for existing is not as a business model. It's only mission statement is just as you said. Period.

Liturgy committees make me cranky too. We have a set of instructions on the Mass now. Why do we need people discussing it or coming up with "creative" and "meaningful" expansions? We don't.